Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-02-03
SHRINKAGE OF CATTLE
The Proper Winter Care and Treatment
of Farm Animals

OF arm Animals.
But few men properly take into &C
count the fact that, as a rule, they ac-
complish little during the winter
through feeding, rarely putting much
growth on young stock; more rarely
taking adult stock out of winter into
spring with flesh and fat corresponding
in volume with what they entered the
winter with. If rat eats through the
bottom of the wheat bin, or pressure
from the weight of grain opens crack,
and the grain wastes, straightway the
hole Is stopped or a batten put over the
crack The accommodating grain can
be plainly seen going to waste upon
the ground. So. if our personal COM
fort is Interfercd with and our fuel is
being wasted by an opening in the
wall, or by Il badi y-ftting door, all the
inmates see it, and the opening is
closed
In the case of a dumb beast that has
been improved by high breeding, it is
constituted, through the changes
wrought, to give more symmetry and a
profit through the flesh it will take on,
Men should learn to take a ready ac-
count of what they are generally too
slow in seeing, namely, a waste in
winter of what the animal may have
gained i'll pasture during an entire
grass season. Under the universal Gus
tom in wintering farm animals, feeders
never know exactly when shrinkage
begins. They can not see it as they
see the wasting grain, or otherwise
realize it as they do the incoming cold
current through loosely-fitted door.
1t comes upon the beast stealthily.
Every hour it stands in current of
cold air it parts with sub
stance. The fire burns with
the body, that the strain
upon the system through the cold from
without may be met. This combustion
this tire-burns up tissues, and the
waste can be discovered early in the
process only by resort to the stock
scale. This test, accurately adjusted,
never misleads.
When Improvement results in refine
mcnt, lessening the hair covering. max
ing the skin thinner. and, under the in
fiuence OF the processes that do this,
rendering the animal in every way more
quickly affected by cold and neglect of
every sort, then these conditions must
be met or else the consequences be
taken. If there be the least disposition
to argue that twill not pay to keep pace
with the Improvement by modifying
the conditions, through improving the
shelter and mode of feeling, then better
go back to the old-time beast-One that
needs no special care. and in the way
of profit gives practically nothing.
When it is taken into the account that
during winter more feed is required to
maintain the temperature of the body
up to its normal state, namely, SO deg,
than for all other purposes, we are
admOnishcd to shield from cold, else
submit to shrinka~c. An animal going
into winter with Il liberal coating of fat
outside the sensitive tissues and under
the hide, is III the best possible condi-
ton to render the task of taking the
animal through the cold months COM
fortably and economically, because
this layer of fat is 4 capital non-con-
ductor. To permit it to waste away
needlessly is as unbusiness like as to
allow ones surplus in the bank to be
drawn out little by little and thrown
away.
If the doors and windows of dwell.
ing are opened in cold weather. more
fuel must be put into the furnace. This
principle holds strictly true when APP
piled to the domestic animal unduly eX-
posed. The layer of fat under the hide
forms q hrpaSt-wOrk as il were keen
ing back the cold from the deep-seated
sensitive tissues, and if one succeeds in
getting a goodly deposit of this outer
coating of fat. and plans for shelter in
such manner as to hold this intact
from week to week, establishing upon
the stock scale that he is holding it,
though the weather without be severe,
then this is proof that he is preventing
shrinkagc National Lire Stock Journal.